In 2011 the town of Ulm will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of Albrecht Ludwig Berblinger’s attempt to fly. In May 1811, Berblinger, known locally as „The Tailor of Ulm“, attempted to fly across the Danube in a hang-glider he had designed and con-structed himself. This visionary, boffin and inventor failed – not because of any short-comings in his construction but owing to a lack of knowledge of the thermics above the surface of the cold river. In professional circles, Albrecht L. Berblinger has long been regarded as an aviation pioneer. Since 1988, the town of Ulm has been awarding the Berblinger Prize, one of the highest value prizes in the field of general aviation, as a tribute to his work.
The prize is synonymous with environmentally sustainable technological development and research at the highest level. “This approach is eminently suited to the purpose and the international nature of the AERO”, said Ivo Gönner, Senior Mayor of Ulm. “This show offers ideal conditions for the competitors and indeed for the competition itself: the event attracts an international forum of specialists, specialist press coverage and aviation enthusiasts from the entire region. The infrastructure is excellent.”
Since 2008 AERO has placed particular emphasis on “E-flight” which is continually being expanded. The “E” stands for “Electrical, Ecological, Evolutionary”.
Alternative propulsion technologies are presented here not only at the prototype stage but also as models ready for serial production. “With this event we will be forming an “aviation link” between Ulm and Friedrichshafen. We are looking forward to the competition, which fits in very well with our exhibition concept“, said AERO project manager Roland Bosch with regard to the cooperation with Ulm.
The aim of the Berblinger Flight Competition 2011 is to promote and demonstrate flight concepts using innovative technologies based on the latest research, knowledge and developments in the field of aviation. The search for the winner(s) will concentrate on practicable, one- or two-seater, person-carrying aircraft using innovative technol-ogy and design and/or propulsion. Particular emphasis will be placed on environ-mental sustainability, economy and safety.
Construction teams working with innovative and environmentally sustainable tech-nologies are invited from all over the world to take part in the competition. An inde-pendent jury made up of experts from the aviation and space industry, representatives from universities and research institutes and representatives of the town of Ulm will judge the entries.
The Berblinger Flight Competition 2011 is open to teams from all over the world. In-formation on the Berblinger Flight Competition and the registration forms are avail-able on the Internet at www.berblinger.ulm.de. Entries can be submitted until December 31, 2010. Please note: The closing date for final registration has been brought forward to March 15, 2011 due to the early date set for the event.
The Senior Mayor of Ulm, Ivo Gönner, will present the Berblinger Prize /the Berblin-ger Prizes in a special ceremony on Sunday April 17, 2011 in Ulm Town Hall. It is envisaged that all the aircraft taking part in the competition will be exhibited at the same time either in the Market Place or in the Minster Square in Ulm.
